Slow ez go

[JeremysGN]

2008 EZGO

This buggy was purchased at auction & I'm not sure what mods have been made. So far I have installed new batteries (11/15) & 2 ga cables. The cart has a lift kit, 22 x 11" tires, rear seat, ect that were on the cart when we purchased. Its a regen / PDS unit. I think it has a chip or wire bypass as it does not brake going down hill. Just charged the batteries last night, FLUKE meter show 4.49 - 4.5, H.F. special shows 4.7 - 4.9 on all. The cart will only run 5 - 6 MPH on flat asphalt & has a hard time climbing mild hills. I'd like to get this back to "factory" performance specs before going bigger if possible, was hoping for feedback as to where to check next.

I've read several post from BGW & am amazed at the support, replies & feedback. I've checked a few items from the other post, solenoid clicks & everything functions as it seems it should. Have noticed the occasional really fast start & then slows off.

Thanks for your help.

[JeremysGN]

Sorry, 6.49 - 6.5

[JeremysGN]

Buggy gives a single short beep once in diagnostic mode. I assume this means no codes are present ?? I was hoping the cart was in limp home mode by chance.

[JohnnieB]

The 22"tall tires and stock PDS controllers don't play well together and the taller the tires, the more the cart will slow going uphill.

A single beep upon going into diagnostic mode means the controller is in All Terrain (or Golf) mode. (Max speed about 13 MPH and no regen braking)

Try driving in diagnostic mode and see if it beeps any error codes.

Were all 10 high current cables upgraded to 2Ga?

Check the F1&F2 for worn insulation where the are routed around battery box.

You can download the Owner, Service and Parts manuals here: http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...g-manuals.html
They are the three PDF files at the top of page.

Having been running 22" tires, either the stock PDS controller or the stock PDS motor may be sick, maybe both.

[JeremysGN]

Got a speed sensor code after I raised the rear & pressed petal. I'll be cleaning mud, rocks, & cow manure off the ceiling now !

Gonna check the mag & cable, anybody got any other suggestions while I'm in there?

THANKS

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by JeremysGN

Got a speed sensor code after I raised the rear & pressed petal. I'll be cleaning mud, rocks, & cow manure off the ceiling now !

Gonna check the mag & cable, anybody got any other suggestions while I'm in there?

THANKS

Make sure the screw that holds the magnet disk onto the motor shaft is tight.

Use some spray contact cleaner on all the plugs and jacks. (Be sure to flip Run/Tow switch to Tow before unplugging anything or doing any electrical work anywhere on cart.)

[JeremysGN]

Thanks Johnnie

Only the battery cables were provided in the kit I bought. The motor leads are 4 ga, I'll make some up with some 2 ga welding cable.

F1 & F2 seem to be ok, wires are not brittle & insulation appears to be in good shape. Are these control leads & is there any benefit in replacing them to a heavier gauge?

I use the cart to take my twin girls around the farm. There are places with decent hills that I'm not ready to try till I get this fixed. Is there any benefit to changing to the steep hills connector? I saw your write up on the 42V system, do you still run this combo & recommend it?

Thanks for all your help, I'll try to take a few pics when I find the culprit.

[JohnnieB]

The F1/F2 cables feed the motor's field windings and if the stock cables are in good condition, there is no reason to upgrade them to a thicker gauge.

Other than the top speed and amount of regen braking, there is no performance difference in the four PDS modes.

I'm still running a 42V system, but I might go to 48V when I need to replace my battery pack, something I couldn't do before the XCT controller came out.

With 18" tires, 42V can take a stock PDS motor to its max recommended RPM and 48V will exceed it, and my tires are only 17" tall, so exceeding the max RPM limit is even more of an issue for me. However, the XCT has user programmable RPM limiting, so that is no longer a problem.

At 42V, my cart doesn't slow down all that much going uphill as long as the hill isn't much more than about 15° and I believe it wouldn't slow any (or at least not as much) if I went to 48V.

With an aftermarket controller that doesn't limit the motor to about 4400RPM like the stock PDS controller does, a PDS cart will do about 24MPH on 18" tires at 36V and about 28MPH at 42V (which is about 6500RPM at the motor)

If you foresee going to tires taller than 20" in the future, or an aftermarket motor, I'd go with 48V, otherwise 42V is a good choice for reliability and range.

[JeremysGN]

Took the sensor out & checked magnet, everything looks good. Can I test the sensor some way other than a tach or O scope? What would you recommend is the next move?

THANKS

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by JeremysGN

Took the sensor out & checked magnet, everything looks good. Can I test the sensor some way other than a tach or O scope? What would you recommend is the next move?

THANKS

No way to check sensor without a tach or O'scope that I'm aware of.

Try running the cart with the sensor unplugged from the controller and see if what it does. If it is doing the same thing, then the sensor might be bad.